Operation Cobra Rescue
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: A small fic about how the rescue mission's name was changed. Swan Queen friendship. Henry/Regina feels.


_AN: A small fic about how the rescue mission's name was changed. SQ friendship. Henry/Regina feels. I don't own Once or its characters. Apologies for any mistakes. Hope you enjoy :)_

Once they've made camp for the evening Emma looks over to where Regina is now sitting alone by a tree. _Finally_ she thinks, she's been waiting for Tinkerbell to leave for a few minutes. Don't get her wrong she's grateful for the help but she also really wants to talk to Regina right now. She quickly excuses herself from the rest of the group ignoring Snow and Charming's puzzled frowns as she walks over to Regina who's fiddling with a small ring in her hands. Her fingers still their pensive movement upon noticing Emma looking down at her.

"Hey" Regina says keeping her eyes on the ring.

"Hey" Emma replies, a reverse mirror of their conversation from earlier, the one that made the blonde come over here in the first place.

She sits down next to the brunette, their knees bumping slightly as she shifts on the cold floor to get into a comfortable position. "Watch it!" Regina hisses as the movement jostles her hands and the ring drops. A frantic expression flickers in rich chocolate eyes as suddenly moves from her seated position and scrambles in the dirt for the fallen jewellery.

Emma frowns before placing her hand on Regina's shoulder, "Hey it's just a ring" she says in a weak reassurance.

Regina now seated on her knees with a desperate and wildly upset look, tears pooling in her gaze, "It's not _just a ring"_ she replies insistently emphasising Emma's words with anger before returning to her search.

Emma wants to cut in and argue that in the grand scheme of things it can't really be all that important but something about the way the always put together woman is working herself up over it to the point that she is pawing at the mud and twigs tells her that the ring must be important. It must be something special to cause Regina of all people to dig through dirt and grime. So she kneels down and starts looking as well.

"Why is it so important?" Emma asks as they look over the small patch of ground.

"What?" Regina asks impatiently whipping her head up.

"The ring. Who gave it to you?"

On instinct Regina goes to play with the ring but is harshly reminded that it isn't there, just like the person who gave it to her.

_"Mommy! Mommy!" the excited cries ring through her bedroom and Regina blinks at the assaulting light of the early hour. She groans tiredly stretching her limbs out as her son bounces into the room, a broad grin on his face. Any displeasure she feels at being woken so early disappears at the joy on her seven year old son's face. _

_"Morning Henry" she replies cheerily. _

_"Mommy I got you something" he says proudly. _

_"Oh?" she asks. She knows he went out with Graham a week ago to select a gift but the Sheriff refused to tell her what it was insisting that the surprise would be worth it. _

_"Happy Birthday Mommy. Love you" he says with a smile handing her the small parcel. _

_Regina grins, "Thank you Henry. I love you too, do you know how much?" _

_He smiles, they do this every morning, "To the moon and back again" _

_"Exactly" she replies kissing him on the top of the head before ruffling his hair and examining the little rectangular package with her eyes first. She shakes it by her ear but there's no telling sounds to give it away. Henry laughs watching his mother's routine with gifts before saying, "You have to open it Mommy" _

_She peels away the carefully wrapped paper before revealing a small dark blue box. Regina lifts the top before gasping and turning to her son with wide tear-filled eyes. "Oh Henry" _

_"Do you like it?" he asks hopefully. _

_She gently plucks the small ring from the box, a gold band with a green gem, "I love it Henry, it's beautiful" she replies marvelling at the ring. _

_His smile widens, "Graham says that green means hope and well-being so I wanted you to have it to keep you healthy and hopeful" he states with pride as he explains his choice. _

_Regina swears her face is about to crack from the happy grin that blooms on her face. Her son. Health and hope she thinks staring at the gemstone. She smiles proudly at her son already so sensitive and smart. She slides the ring onto her finger admiring how it shines in the early morning light before bringing Henry in for a big hug, "I love it and I love you. You're the best son in the whole wide world" _

_He grins before replying, "You're the best Mommy in the universe" he emphasises the last word with his hands before looking up at his mother, "Can we have birthday pancakes now?" _

_She smiles once more, "Of course Henry" _

_He looks up at her seriously, "You'll always wear that?" he asks. _

_"Always" she promises. _

_She needed it in the years to come. The years when he pulled away before leaving her. That ring gave her hope and reminded her of how her son loved her, his best Mommy in the universe. _

"When I look at it I know he must be out there somewhere waiting for us to get him" Regina finishes her story through soft cries as Emma watches sympathetically tears brimming in her own eyes as she listens to the memory of her son. "We'll get him back" she promises reaching out for Regina's hand.

Regina looks up at her, "Operation Henry" she says as she allows Emma to comfort her.

"About that" Emma begins as Regina looks up at her curiously.

"What?"

"I was thinking about the name"

"I know it's terrible. He'd have a better one like his Operation Cobra" she replies wistfully thinking of the mission that meant he moved further from her and nearer to Emma.

Emma frowns seeing the downcast expression before squeezing the other woman's hand, "That's what I was thinking. Henry came up with Operation Cobra. But that was mine and his and that isn't fair for this mission. You're his Mom too and so I was thinking we could have an operation codename for all three of us"

Regina smiles, a small one but it lights up her face nonetheless, "What were you thinking?"

"Well I was thinking the kid is Operation Cobra and we're coming to save him so Operation Cobra Rescue, you know like an added mission or something" she suggest with a shrug before looking up to meet Regina's shining gaze and little smile.

"I like that" the brunette replies, "It's very Henry. It's very you" she adds with a small bitter sigh.

Emma frowns before scooting closer to Regina, "It was mine and Henry but things aren't going to be like that anymore"

"Like what?"

"Like you and Henry or me and Henry. No more choosing. No more my son. He's our son Regina, _our_ son and so the name isn't just for me and Henry anymore, it's for all of us. A new start that we make from our past mistakes"

Regina sniffs before turning to Emma with a grateful smile, "Operation Cobra Rescue" she says slowly.

"Yeah. You and me getting our kid back"

It is in that moment that Regina sees a glimmer of gold by the blonde's boot. She grins before leaning over oblivious to Emma's puzzled look and tugs it free from the dirt encasing it. She blows on it dusting away the mud before a small happy laugh tumbles from her lips. "Look at that" she says awestruck as she leans back next to Emma and holds the ring up in the starlight.

The two woman sit like that for several minutes just staring up at the light beaming down and casting a green glow around them. _Hope_. Regina smiles closing her eyes for a second and picturing her son. Emma does the same. Somewhere in the forest is their son dreaming of rescue and Storybrooke with his moms and together they will make sure he has that.

_Thanks for reading :)_


End file.
